PEACOCK] NATURE-STUDY IN SECOND GRADE igj 



Nature-study in most schools has a place in the language 

 work. The pupils of the second grade are eager to see, to learn, 

 to tell, and to write. 



Each grade in our city schools studies a certain tree. The 

 tree for the second grade is the cottonwood, perhaps the most 

 common tree in Nebraska. An account of the work done in one 

 particular school with this topic may be interesting. 



In the fall the children were taken to one of the parks where 

 there were many cottonwood trees. At that time the trees were 

 gorgeous in their beautiful yellow leaves. All the trees were 

 appreciated, but the cottonwood was the general favorite because 

 the leaves were so bright and had such lustre. The size of the 

 tree impressed most of the children. We took some leaves home 

 with us. Next day we painted the yellow leaves, learned the 

 size, shape, color and veining. 



After the leaves had fallen I asked my class to bring in some 

 cottonwood twigs. Nearly every child brought a twig, but not a 

 cottonwood was among them. Next I told them where to find 

 the kind of twigs I wanted. They brought them. We com- 

 pared these with ten or twelve other varieties of twigs. Then 

 each child drew or painted his cottonwood twig. The buds were 

 larger on the cottonwood than on the other trees. We wanted to 

 see what was inside. Each pupil opened a bud and told what he 

 found. Several times during the winter buds were brought in 

 and opened. One or two were kept each time, so that compari- 

 sons might be made. 



The first warm days of spring found the children watching the 

 trees to see what changes would occur. The swelling and burst- 

 ing buds, the red and the green catkins and the new leaves were a 

 source of delight and interest to every child. When the red 

 catkins dropped there was real sorrow, but when the green ones 

 were found still hanging to the trees, the spirits rose again. The 

 interest continued until the seed pods had formed and it was 

 time for the summer vacation. 



As the seasons changed I read poems relating to each. In the 

 fall I found the following very good: Helen Hunt's "Down to 

 Sleep," Bryant's "Death of the Flowers," Richard Henry Stod- 

 dard's "November," Margaret Eytinge's "Autumn," Mrs. 

 Nicholl's "Indian Summer," W. J. Henderson's "A Song in 

 October." 



